Gas station clerk narrowly avoids fatal shooting as crazed woman attempts to rob store at gunpoint

By JAMES GORDON, US NEWS REPORTER Published: 00:18, 4 May 2026 | Updated: 00:18, 4 May 2026 A gas station clerk narrowly avoided being shot dead after a woman opened fire inside a West Virginia convenience store during a brazen attempted robbery. The entire terrifying encounter was captured in chilling surveillance footage. Rebecca Peterson, 42, of Oceana, walked into a Shell station along Little Coal River Road in Lincoln County just before 4am on Friday and approached the counter with a firearm. On video posted online by WCHS, Peterson announced to the clerk how she intended to rob the store - and then fired a shot that struck the wall behind him. The man working the overnight shift, Alaa Hammad, had been covering for a friend at the time.  In the chaos that followed, his voice could be heard in the surveillance footage crying out, 'Oh, my God!' as the gunshot rang through the small store. Before firing, Peterson even told the clerk her name. Rebecca Peterson, 42, is accused of attempting to rob a gas station in Lincoln County, West Virginia with a gun. The incident occurred just before 4am on Friday at a Shell station Peterson approached the cashier and demanded money - but she also gave her name Peterson faces charges including attempted armed robbery, wanton endangerment, brandishing, assault and destruction of property Investigators say Hammad tried to de-escalate the situation, telling Peterson that the store's owner was in a back room counting money.  It was a bold attempt by Hammad to distract her attention. Troopers said Peterson then moved toward the rear of the store, only to realize no one was there. She could be seen aiming her gun at the security camera before the footage goes dark as Peterson fired another shot toward surveillance camera. It gave vital seconds for Hammad to flee and call 911. 'I tried to let her be calm and saw her mentality is not awake,' Hammad later told WCHS, describing his attempt to keep the situation from spiraling further out of control. Troopers say the suspect then exited the store and fled in a black SUV, heading northbound on US Route 119. But her escape was short-lived. WATCH: A Wyoming County woman faces multiple charges after an attempted armed robbery at a convenience store in Lincoln County early Friday where shots were fired. Story: https://t.co/4RKOttBm3L pic.twitter.com/8yqhIXW0Ou The clerk told Peterson the owner was in a back room counting money. Peterson walked toward the back area but found no one there. She then fired directly at the security camera The clerk, Alaa Hammad, was covering a shift for a friend at the time and managed to convince Peterson to head to the back of the store so he could make a quick escape and call 911 Peterson was arrested a short time later after police tracked down her vehicle  Law enforcement tracked the vehicle down a short time later and took Peterson into custody.  Police said they recovered a firearm believed to have been used in the incident. West Virginia State Police confirmed Peterson now faces a string of serious charges, including attempted armed robbery, wanton endangerment, brandishing, assault and destruction of property. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.